Heisman Trophy winner finds Ditka to be a nice guy

EXAMINER NEWS SERVICES

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 8, 1999

NEW ORLEANS - Just when Mike Ditka thought he'd never love again, the New Orleans Saints coach saw Ricky Williams and fell hard.

How hard? Well, the man who judges all running backs by Walter Payton had said previously he is willing to give up every draft pick this year, some from next year, and a few players as well to get the Heisman Trophy winner.

His desire has not waned.

"We're going to talk to the five teams one through five and see who has an interest in taking all of our picks," Saints general manager Bill Kuharich said Wednesday.

"Maybe all our picks and some other things. We want him. We think he can have an immediate impact on our whole team and our season."

The Saints don't have a second-round pick; that was traded to St. Louis for wide receiver Eddie Kennison. Kuharich said that could be a deal-breaker. But if a deal can be made, the Saints want to make it.

"I think this player has an opportunity to make us better all around," Kuharich said. "He'll make our receivers better, our line better, our quarterback better."

Williams arrived at the Saints camp in the afternoon with little knowledge of the team - "I know they never won a playoff game, right?" - and worries about meeting Ditka.

"All I knew about him was just what I'd seen of him walking up and down the sidelines - yelling," Williams said. "I didn't like the look on his face. You know, that mean expression he has. He never looked happy, ever. I thought I'd hate to play for him, he doesn't smile. I was even afraid of him at the combine, I didn't want to meet him. But he's the nicest guy in the world."

The Saints' offense was 28th in the NFL last season, dead last in rushing.

Redskins still up for grabs&lt;

ATLANTA - Heated emotions and cold cash doomed Howard Milstein's bid for the Washington Redskins. Now the search is on - again - for a new owner of the NFL team.

Milstein, saying he wanted to get out before the process got "protracted" and "contentious" when it already was both, withdrew his group's $800 million bid to buy the Redskins on Wednesday when it became clear he lacked the necessary support from NFL owners.

"We have withdrawn with great sadness. . . . In the end we complied with all the league's stated requirements and agreed to all of the league's additional conditions," Milstein said in a statement released at a special owners meeting. "But we recognize that a protracted, contentious dispute over ownership would cripple the Redskins."

Milstein's bid, which would have set a record for a U.S. sports franchise, was dogged from the start over questions about his finances and concerns that he would be a litigious, maverick owner.

Signings&lt;

* Packers: Green Bay signed free-agent running back Brent Moss, who had been out of football since being waived by the St. Louis Rams in 1996.

* Browns: Cleveland signed free-agent wide receiver Leslie Shepherd, who played for the Redskins for the past five seasons.&lt;